Expected better

The Asian food display was not appetizing. The Asian and Steakhouse restaurants were 6/10. The buffet food was good to start then slowly went downhill. There was no music/dancing past 11 p.m. The beer was always room temperature. Service was good. The beach itself was nice except when you step on rocks.

Honeymoon

The resort was very nice and the food was great. Staff were friendly. Only disappointment was we never received any of the honeymoon perks ie. no room upgrade, no welcome gift. We would definitely return to this resort.

Amazing hotel

Probably the beats views at this hotel. Had the oceanfront which cannot be beaten. Everything except food was ten out of ten. Food was hit or miss. Overall we did enjoy this stay at riu Ocho Rios and will be coming back

Great resort!

The gardens were beautiful, however; the beach is beautiful, the rooms were clean and staff were great. The entertainment was lacking in the daytime on the beach & would be a nice change to switch up some of the shows in the evening's. Same shows the last 3 years at different Riu locations we stayed in Jamaica. We love Riu chains, people are great. I would probably enjoy an adults only next time, lots of infants this round and crying through the night keeping me awake. Overall great resort

Great resort!

The gardens were beautiful, the entertainment was lacking in the daytime on the beach however; the beach is beautiful, the rooms were clean and staff were great. Different entertainment in the evenings year to year would be nice to change it up some, same shows the last 3 years at different Riu locations in Jamaica. We love Riu chains, people are great. I would probably enjoy an adults only next time, lots of infants and crying through the night keeping me awake. Overall great resort

Awesome Stay!

This is our second time staying here and we will be back. The beaches are so well kept, the water is fantastic and there are great areas to snorkel. I would recommend that you bring your own mask & snorkel, they are included in the cost of the stay, but only 1 hour, which honestly isn't long enough. The food was great, we ate at all the different places, but the buffet was always good, no shortage of choices. The rooms are good and the beds are comfortable. The staff, every single one was fr [... read more]iendly & welcoming, they are the true stars here.

Riu Ocho Rios - April 2025

Hotel, room, food, beach were perfect. Our room was situated on the kiddies side, which we did not appreciate. We did not use the pool because it was full of children. If your a couple and would like a romantic stay, be sure to ask for the adults only side.

Honestly, probably will not be going back to this resort.

The area that was the most disappointing was the dining. The food in my opinion was not very well prepared and did not have any taste, Jamaican flavor. We tried all the different restaurants, and the experience was all the same. In fact, most days we ate off site and encored extra cost because of this experience. Also, the service at best was poor and consistently poor. The room was great but had to get the Public Relations Manager involved as a result of the constant drilling on one pa [... read more]rticular night. As a result of the hotel changing tiles in the kitchen.

Rockin at the Riu!

Holiday with my brother at the Riu Ocho Rios March 2025. Beautiful clean resort. Had a family room with 2 queen beds on the 2nd floor facing beautiful courtyard with pond, and view of pool and Caribbean Sea thru the palm trees . Very spacious and modern. Double sinks with large shower and amenities. Separate room with toilet. Cleaned immaculately daily , with all towels replenished. special touches of towel designs and flower petals left on bed and curtain sheers draped fancy. Lots of hot [... read more] water. Air conditioner worked perfectly . Never saw any bugs inside our room. Sheets changed often. Left tips each morning for housekeeping. Food was tasty and lots of variety in main buffet. Tried the a la carte restaurants as well , with our favourite being the Kulkarium which served lobster on a bed of delicious rice ! Went there twice ! lol. 5 pools all cleaned daily and surrounding decks power washed every morning . Bars served variety of drinks both alcoholic and non , along with smoothies. Large signs with drinks name and all ingredients which made for easy choices. Entertainment was very good with karaoke night being the highlite especially once my brother performed ! After that , we were constantly approached throughout our week stay by other guests wanting to talk to him , which led us in meeting people from all over the world and having great conversations. The beach was beautiful and we walked it at least 4 times each day with a round trip from end to end being 1 mile we were told. Overall had a great trip at a beautiful hotel. I felt safe and the drinking water was safe to drink and the communication was very easy as they speak English. Oh and electrical outlets are the same as Canada.

Great resort

The hotel provided a noteworthy stay, yet it did not fully achieve a high star rating in my book. Although the room was clean and equipped with essential amenities, it lacked the charm and thoughtful details that elevate a visit. There were minor issues that were addressed promptly, though I would have preferred not to raise them myself. For beach enthusiasts, the location is excellent; however, the food was merely satisfactory and did not reflect the authentic flavors one might expect, seemingl [... read more]y tailored to suit a broader audience. The staff were polite, but some did not extend themselves to ensure guests felt particularly welcomed. While the amenities were sufficient, they appeared somewhat outdated and uninspired. On a positive note, the hotel's location was convenient and met our needs effectively. Overall, it serves as a practical choice for a brief stay, fulfilling its purpose for our trip.

Excellent Resort !

We just returned from spending 7 days here , we were a family group of 12. We have nothing bad to say about this resort. Staff were all friendly and worked hard to give us all a great experience .Every where we went the staff were cleaning .Specialty restaurants were great , food and service outstanding . Buffet had an endless rotation of good food . Pools were all fun and well kept. We loved the foam party !!! Our room was beautiful and we had a great view of pond and the beach on the fifth flo [... read more]or . Beach was great and we always found chairs for all of us . We also had a photo session on the beach with one of the Photographers at the resort , pics are great. We would highly recommend going to this resort and would return . The only negative was the drive from the Airport , about 2 hours plus but bus drivers were good. . There is private transportation available that might be faster. Thanks Riu staff !

Ocho Rios Vacation

The activities, the grounds, the rooms were all kept clean. I had an amazing experience. The food was great and the others attending the resort were so friendly. I wasn't extremely happy with the friendliness of the staff at the resort in comparison to everyone I had meet in Jamaica off the resort. I had one issue with the room were the bathroom door knob was broken and would lock you inside. Luckily my roommate was able to get me out and we proceeded to not full close the door to the bathroom.  [... read more]This should be fixed so that other travelers do not also have the same problem.

Vey Good resort

We liked the time spend in the resort. The room was comfortable, big enoiugh. It was cleaned every day. Bathroom was very good. Balcony was a nice addition to the room. The beach was perfect, just enough space for everyone, no need to book a place, as the shade was widely available. Food court was good, with good selection of different food. The personal in the court was very helpful. Italian restorant was the best from all others. Generally speaking, we enjoyed our stay in the resort and would [... read more] not mind to come again. Thank you.

Ya Man

We spent a week at Riu Ocho Rios! Such a great resort! Friendly staff and cleanliness. A good variety of food at the buffet and a la carte. Very safe as it’s on a private beach. However, it’s 1.5 hours from airport but it was worth it.

Not the same

Beautiful resort, staff is pretty nice n friendly. Food is not good anymore. Entertainment not so great anymore. Pools seem unclean. Too much young children running around in the lobby and pool area's. Party vibes are ok. Overly crowded at this particular resort. Used to love this resort in the past and now it lost that touch.

Great Resort

Traveled May 12-19 Food was amazing lots to choose from. The staff were very friendly and helpful . Excellent service. Hotel very clean , Rooms are nicely renovated quite spacious. The ground are well kept. However would have like to see a beach bar within close proximity to the beach and some umbrellas for extra shade on the beach.

Awesome Vacation

We had a great time at Riu Ocho Rios. It was our first time staying at a Riu property and we would go back in a heartbeat. The staff was amazing ( Tamesha Sheryl and Silanthia) stood out to us for great service. Food, Beach, Staff, Entertainment, Cleanliness. This resort set the bar. Thank you Louise Endean @ tripcentral .

Amazing Beach

This was our 3rd stay at this resort, first since the renovations. The food, the beach, the pools, the drinks were all excellent. Great snorkeling right there at the resort. The difference between now 2024 and then 2013 prior to the renovations for us was a noticable decline in client services. The hotel changes their staff on a daily basis, thus impossible to create a liaison with a server or bartender to know what and how you like your drinks or table. The staff never said hello and 70% of the [... read more] time did not respond to just a friendly hello. They never looked at guests in the eyes and the animation staff never collaborated with guests much unless they were of their age, and sorry to say I think color. They were polite but not forthcoming and overly friendly. You had to tip to get okay service. Many attempts to get service over and above like a wash of our travel cup, premium drinks etc. did not happen, did not click like we had at Theis resort in 2013, and other resorts in Jamaica including RIU Negril. This time it was really portrayed as guests visit and spend your money, no thank you. 6 bucks US for a disposable lighter is clearly taking advantage of patrons. No positive Jamaican vibes here for whities anyway, unless you tip large and probably younger crowd. I would not recommend this to someone 50 and over. The entertainment at night seemed to be scripted and did not hold and personal experiences with guests. Our 3rd stay here and unless the price is right probably our last. Nothing here to get over excited to make a guest feel special. The snorkeling at the resort in in matched and one of the best. I would recommend this resort to a friend but I would also recommend many others that provided us with a warm welcome and a great Jamaican atmosphere. It's okay nothing more. It is not what it used to be. The RIU app saved the day. Room service was great, housekeeping acceptable. Something to note. Sandra the Sunwing rep remembered us after 10 years after our visit which we found truly amazing! The beach and pools were clean The grounds were clean, however a few coconuts fell from the trees which could had seriously injured someone. Staff not very friendly and seemed cold except for a few. Service and food presentation at a la carte restaurants need much improvements. To be pointed to your table is unacceptable, and all your food thrown on a plate like a stew even worse. 2 weeks stay with only finding 2 bartenders that made your drinks very good. Cranberry and sprit on ice is not a complicated drink but not many got it right. Sorry to say. The resort is nice but the friendly welcoming atmosphere is not present.

Jamaica No Problem, Mon

Cross-posted to Trip Advisor. Where to start... overall this trip was fantastic, the resort included. Would highly recommend the resort, Jamaica, and Riu properties. Would highly recommend the resort, Jamaica, and Riu properties. If I came back to this area I would no doubt stay here again. - Beach: The nicest beach I've seen to date, especially on calm days. There is a reef just outside the swimming area. Bring your snorkel and enjoy it. If you're not a comfortable swimmer, bring a floatie. [... read more] So many fish to see (and stingrays if you're lucky)! - Pools: seemed nice, didn't spend much time in them. Two swim up bars, one quieter infinity pool and a large activity pool. - Waterslides: so much fun. Faster than you would expect! If you aren't familiar with how to go down the waterslides, make sure to ask for the proper form. Not much direction offered from the staff. - Entertainment: The crew and the entertainment itself is amazing. Huge shoutout to these staff who literally never stop! Lots to do during the day and evening. - Food was good, the buffet can get a bit repetitive and would have loved to see more Jamaican food but overall very good food. Don't miss the Jerk chicken! And for late night snacks, the Sports Bar is open 24/7. A la cartes were very good. - Kids Club: the staff that worked there we SO FRIENDLY and the facilities looked great, no kids though so I didn't use it. - Large property but never felt busy. NO VENDORS on the beach which was amazing. Lots of lounge chairs and shade on the beach. As usual, people reserve loungers at the pool and then never even use them. Limited elevators, so if mobility is an issue book a ground floor. - Excursion: Booked through Scuba Caribe, took the catamaran cruise to snorkeling and then hiked up Dunn's River Falls. Totally worth it, great experience. Had a videographer that followed us and the video and pictures was totally worth the extra $40 USD. Last notes: - Riu app is very good - restaurant reservation and other requests are through that. - long transfer to and from the airport (2+ hours) - if this is a deal breaker, book a private transfer. - visited in March, and the grounds, pool, and beach get shady early (4 PM). This might change as the months change. - the resort does a foam pool party, a white night party on the beach, and a glow party. Bring your all white outfit and neons! - surprised that the smell of weed did not permeate every area of the resort. You'll catch a whiff here and there every once in a while, but not more than that. - felt very safe in Jamaica. Far safer than DR or Mexico

Wonderful family vacation!

We were guests in 2016 and at that time the hotel decor was very dated but even so the food and the amenities were still great. The upgrades to the resort since then have really elevated the experience - the rooms, buffet area, the swimming pools, the walkways. The addition of the water park/slides was a huge hit with both the kids and the adults. We were very happy with the resort - our family group of 8 adults and 4 children had a fantastic time. Service at the front desk and in th [... read more]e main restaurant/buffet was excellent. Lots of food choices for both adults and children. The grounds are very well kept and lots of staff throughout the resort ensure a clean environment. Staff helpful, friendly and responsive. Never had a problem finding loungers either in the pool area or on the beach. Enjoyed the variety of entertainment in the evening as well as the foam party and beach party. Live bands were excellent. Activities at the pool were lots of fun and the entertainment staff really worked hard to get guests involved The Riu app was helpful for making restaurant reservations, requesting additional towels or just learning more about what the hotel has to offer. If I had to find any areas I’d like to see improved it would be 1) the black garbage bins and the plastic cup and plate bins in the main pool area be better cleaned out and washed both inside and out. Same for cleaning the side tables by the pool loungers - often sticky from everyone’s drinks etc. 2) some different snacks in the Sports Bar - perhaps bags of chips, pretzels etc rather than just nachos everyday Otherwise, excellent experience!